Return of Magic
by Fiona Bunny
Summary: Next ch. up June 1st. A scientific breakthrough in a future earth accidentally causes everyone to undergo a Middle Earthen transformation. Only one person can undo this. Will he?
1. Bulletin

Department of Engineering, MIT

May 12, 2052

Prof. Gandalf Greymalkin

To Whom It May Concern:

My work for the last ten years has been researching the possible link between consciousnesses of animals and machines.  By applying the recent advances in laser technology, it is now possible to transmit the consciousness of one animal to a robot.  The applications of this are detailed in several of my writings, and they include the ability to attain immortality by placing a human consciousness within a machine.   

However, I wish to call attention to my latest development in my research.  For as long as science existed, none disputed that plants do not have consciousness.  This is what my research team and I will to disprove.  After conducting three years of experimenting to prove that plants have no ability to think, we have only acquired evidence that the contrary is true.  We will demonstrate the consciousness transmittance of a marigold plant, take questions from the audience, and unveil further breakthroughs about plantlife psychology.

The presentation will be held in auditorium B on May 17 at 7:30 pm.  It is only open to upperclassmen students, the press, and those with expressed permission from MIT.  Please encourage others to attend.


	2. The Expo

"Professor, I can't believe we're doing this!  No one will believe us!" Adam protested as the sleek aluminum door slide open to the lab.  Prof. Greymalkin stood with his back to Adam and was busy recalibrating the laser diodes.

"We've worked much too hard to keep this from the public," Prof. Greymalkin's old voice was firm but gentle.

Adam sighed and adjusted his white lab coat.  He had been at MIT since he was seven.  The school, the lab, and the professor were his family and home.  Even though he had grown up in the lab with him, Prof. Greymalkin still looked bizarrely out of place in the sterile, cold, and state-of-the-art lab.  His beard had grayed considerably; he was getting too old for this type of work.  

"My boy, plant life is an entire species that the world has ignored for too long," Prof. Greymalkin continued warmly, "They are not dead like the rocks. No!  They are just as alive and thinking as anyone of us, but life is different for them."

"We know for a scientific fact that the soul exists," Adam chose the marigold specimen that was in a clear self-sustaining bio-sphere from a shelf of similarly packaged flowers, shrubs, and weeds.  He attached a tube into a knob on the top of the sphere. "And we know from our previous research that animals have souls as well.  But plants?  There will be a public outcry.  You do remember what happened when Copernicus declared that the earth revolved around the sun."

"You must have more faith in humanity, Adam!"  The professor paused to reflect and adjust the lens, "It will be hard to explain there lives the soul of some deceased person in each plant.  They live the life of shades in the land of the dead.  The ancients and their unbelievable myths always have some truth in them."

"I know we have spoken with these 'beings' but how are we so sure they don't lie to use?  What if it were some cosmic prank?"  Adam picked up the marigold specimen placed it onto a blue platform.  The polymer bath that entered from the tube into the sphere was a very delicate solution.  It was a mixture of vary basic nanocircuitry and smart polymer that would be activated by the laser to capture the essence of the plant's soul.  From there, the solution would be melded with robot which was also made of similar material. 

"Ah, Adam, science won't help us but the stories of fantasy books will!"  Professor smiled at his student.  Adam turned seventeen last September, had two masters in Engineering, and was now finishing up his doctoral thesis, but Professor still treated him as if he were a boy.

"No, I'm a scientist.  I refuse to believe that fairy tales govern space and time."  Adam too had spoken to the plant life forms but he didn't want to believe it.  He couldn't help but think that he and Prof. G were going crazy, even though they exchanged this sort of friendly banter frequently.  What if they were hallucinating or dreaming the entire thing?

"Just the other day," Prof. G's face lit up merrily, "I had the most amazing conversation with a Rhubarb plant."

Adam finished programming the solution and activated the machine that would begin polymerizing the marigold.  Adam wondered if the polymer had somehow gotten into their brains and made them both mad.

"This Rhubarb tells me that it was once a…" Professor drifted as he typed in some codes into the side of the laser, "it said it was once a Hah Bit.  Naturally, I told Susan to go research this Hah Bit."

"Well, what did she find?" Adam humored his friend, mentor, and slightly crazy Professor.

"At first she couldn't find anything.  Then I told her to try any possible spelling variation," Professor's face glowed with boyish excitement, "She found a man named Tolkien who wrote fantasy stories for children."

"Not your fairy tale theory again!"  Adam laughed, "Come on, Professor!  We won't convince our Engineering colleagues with myth and fantasy worlds.  What else did the Rhubarb tell you?"

"Well, I told Susan to obtain copies of Tolkien's books.  Seems like they are all out of print except for one.  She's reading it right now, I'm sure.  Anyway, Mr. Rhubarb, or shall I say, Mr. DandyBrook told me that each plant houses one soul.  A plant never dies, you know.  A seed will bear the soul throughout the plant's next life. Apparently hobbits like to inhabit farm vegetation!"

"Do they enjoy being eaten?" Adam grinned and wondered what Susan was up to.  She was a mystery to him, and he couldn't decide whether he despised her or loved her.  Adam stopped the device and watched the plastic drain slowly away from the clear ball.  The marigold emerged from the polymer bath and was entirely coated in gooey plastic.

"I forgot to ask that!" Prof. G was seriously concerned, "I do know that Mr. DandyBrook does not fancy some of the plants we have here for testing.  He was rather vague.  He mentioned that he liked white flowers and especially disliked certain yellow ones.  He could not communicate to me which one he didn't like.  It seems that plants have their own language for other plants."

"Well that seems logical," Adam watched the platform shift the plant under the focus point of the laser.  The positioning was slightly different for plants than for animals.  The laser had to be focused at a 20.2 degree angle onto the stamen.  It wasn't so much the angle that mattered, but where the laser focused.  

"Ah I remember now!" Prof. G stopped his work suddenly.  "He warned me about about a certain Saurron."

"Well everything is ready for the demonstration tonight.  Did you purchase a robot prototype online?"  Adam was beginning to feel nervous about the press conference.  Either he would be branded forever as a quack along with his friend, or he would rise to the ranks of Einstein and Hawkings.  

"Yes, it arrived in ten minutes.   A bit late but no harm done.  It's splendid technology!  If you want a robot servant or a pet robot, simply download the codes.  And best of all, it's compatible with our research."

Professor glanced at his watch, which had been flashing for sometime.  He touched the screen and a swarthy Indian man flashed onto the tiny screen.  "Why good evening to you, Mr. Das!"

Mr. Das' stern face flashed a tight and impatient smiled, "Yes, Professor, good evening.  I'd like to personally alert you that our team has moved your lab onto the Auditorium B stage.  The installation of protective glass around the lab is near completion."

"Glass?" Prof. G was suddenly confused, "I asked for something else."

"The press has been waiting here, Professor," Mr. Das said with emphasis and did not hear the old man's musing. "Should we give them an exclusive preview or should they see it with the others?"

Professor suddenly realized what time it was.  "Oh yes, the show must begin now."

"Very good, sir.  The microphone system will be on ten seconds," Mr. Das seemed infinitely relieved and his face vanished from the screen.  As if on cue, the bright aluminum walls of the lab slid aside revealing a dark sea of people below.  A low roar of hushed chatter only belied their excitement and sparks of camera light twinkled like stars.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen," Prof. G spoke naturally and the people hushed quickly, "As some of you may remember, the last time we came together, I demonstrated how to transfer the mind of a chimpanzee into your ordinary Prototype Robot Unit.  It was rather amazing to discover that they had such a simple culture that baffled anthropologists for ages.  This evening, you will witness the mind of a marigold plant."

There were a sprinkling of coughs and stifled laughter.  Adam glanced at his mentor nervously.

"Now watch as my assistant Adam activates the electro-polymer complex," Prof. G gave Adam a good-humored wink.

Adam intuitively slid aside the heavy flap to the laser keypad pressed 4 2 9 1 1 F D.  Waiting for the laser to power up seemed eternal.  The giant laser device was like an enormous white telescope except it would focus high energy particles upon the flower.  Well maybe it was like a telescope, but instead of revealing the heavens, it would reveal the nature of Nature.  Adam suddenly realized the ground was shaking, a strange low buzz emanated from the laser, and it glowed red.  Protective glass screen around the lab suddenly seemed ready to shatter.  Obviously the resonance from the laser was not glass friendly.  He darted a glance at his Professor for guidance.  The laser would need another five minutes to activate.

The professor looked back grimly and laughed nervously, "We seem to be having a problem, but don't panic.  We'll have this fixed shortly."

Professor had a look of determination in his face and he would not allow anything to jeopardize this moment. He began a systematic check of the laser systems and motioned Adam to do likewise.

Five tense minutes passed and the audience began to whisper among themselves in wonder.  Adam knew that Prof would never forgive himself if this demonstration went wrong.  Thankfully, the laser stopped vibrating and, as planned, shot a beam of purple upon the marigold.  Adam held his breath and looked on intently at the glowing plant.  The polymer had cleanly melted off the plant and now gathered into a doughnut-like shape at the bottom of the spherical container, as he expected.  Now all he had to do was remove the solidified polymer and place it into the robot.

"The magic of this technology," Prof. G began again after the uncomfortable silence, "is that our robots are made of this wonderful nanotechnology.  One nanochip has the ability to synthesize basic sensory impulses and a few billion of them can simulate the central nervous system of one organism.  And the special polymer not only acts as a glue that binds the nanocircuitry but also facilitates robotic reproduction.  Ah I see Adam has allowed the robot to fuse with our plant-life polymer."

This was the moment that he and the Professor had been anticipating for years.  If something went wrong—no, nothing would go wrong.  Adam activated the robot.  The wait was like a tremendous force upon his chest.  How could the PRU possibly stall this long?  Suddenly he realized that the world was laughing at him with malicious laughter.  Their laughter burned and stung his face like a cattle prong.  Shame seemed branded in his forehead.  The lab was suddenly blindingly bright, the people's faces were a blur of lights in the darkness, and the world spun in drunken stupor.  Adam noticed that the Professor had gone pale and uttered something.  His words were lost amid the sea of roaring mirth.  


	3. Contact

May 17, 2052

Alpha International Space Station

Earth Monitor Unit

7:53 pm

Ally leaned back and chewed on a Twizzler.  She stared lazily at the 16 screens about her, which constantly flashed vital statistics of the earth.  She was the security guard of planet earth tonight and it was a dull night.  She yawned and continued the tedious checking of vital signs.  They whirled by at a lightening pace but her eyes were trained for it.

Population

New York – 9.8 million

Philadelphia – 16.9 million

San Jose – 8.7 million

Boston – 16.9 trillion

Sixteen point nine trillion?  What the hell?  She hoped that the damn space freaks didn't hack into the Alpha security—again.  Well maybe it was one glitch.  Boston did not just have a fifteen minute baby boom.  

Ally typed in commands for Boston only statistics.  Before her eyes, a satellite image of Massachusetts flashed into the upper right screen, a Doppler screen to the left of it, realtime statistics of the number of deaths and births below that.  

The rate of birth and death was the usual.  But was bothered her was the satellite image.  Boston glowed on the infrared level yet there was no sign of any sort of nuclear bombing.  

She looked for the source of the radiation and placed a monitor on the intensity of the radiation.  

Strange.  No source of radiation found.  

What do you mean no source of radiation?  The freaking satellite detects it!

Ally decided to pinpoint the location of the highest color intensity on the satellite map.  The map zoomed into the Boston area and stopped.

Hey what is this?!  No color found!

Ally yawned again and glanced at the time.  It was eight and her shift was over.  Oh well.  


	4. First Encounter

May 27, 2052

Cambridge High School

7:20 am

"Please raise your arms," the security guard spoke slowly and monotonously.

Adam rolled his eyes.  Other than the fact that he still hasn't graduated from high school, he had no motive to gun down the student body.

"Turn around, please," the rather rotund man smelled of aftershave and began patting him down.

Adam stared ahead and noticed a clique of teenagers goofing around in line.  Occasionally they smirked in his direction.  Suddenly, he was conscious of himself and felt puny.  No, they are just kids and I shouldn't let them control me.  He pushed the guard away and walked through the arch-like entrance which also served as a metal detector.

"Next?"  The man didn't seem to notice Adam's rudeness.

"Hey man, howyadoing Mr. Drew?" A slick looking young man stepped forward from the clique.  He had a constant half-smile that drew girls to him from a fifty meter radius.  Adam stopped to watch him.  His antics were always amusing.  Adam noticed that Charlie was neither good looking or hideous.  There was just an aura of gothic mystery about him.  

Mr. Drew grunted as a reply and began patting him down.

"Hey easy on the package, okay?" Charlie said insinuatingly and flicked a wink at a girl.  He shook himself coolly and pretended he was an urban butterfly newly emerged from its ghetto cocoon.  

"Please remove your weapons, Charlie." Mr. Drew spoke comfortably.  This same process happened everyday.  Drew didn't even bother to pull out his gun, as was customary.

Charlie grinned and pulled out the gun from a concealed pocket. "Taurus PT92 Electric Blowback.  The neon red ones weren't in stock today."

"Drop your weapons, son." Drew held out his hand to receive the weapon.

Charlie looked him eye and narrowed his eyes, "No, Mr. Drew."

Some of the girls laughed and cooed his name.  Charlie flinched at the sound of his name and swiveled around to his friends.  Some of the well-groomed males held the girls closer.

"Take it easy, man." A voice spoke up by Adam's ear.  Adam suddenly noticed the blond hair boy who stood towering next to him. 

"No." Charlie swung around with a leveled the gun and pulled the trigger.

The blast shook Adam to the bone and he felt a tremendous pressure in his chest.  He couldn't breath.  He couldn't move.  He fell and fell, and as he fell he saw each distinct droplet of red life falling with him.  Life seemed to pause for a nanosecond.  A jolt to his spine woke him, and screaming flooded his ears.  He was not hit but the one next to him wasn't so lucky.  He climbed to his feet slowly and felt cold metal on the nape of his neck.

"Are you with me or against me, Nerd?" Charlie asked quite jovially and then he whispered, "I'll give you three chances."

"No, don't kill him!" An impassioned but muffled plea came from the hallway.  A brunette with bouncing locks tore from the crowd that had closed around them.  These people probably weren't aware that gunfire could kill them.

"Susan!" Adam gasped.  He wished he could see her, but his back was turned to her and a gun forbade him from moving.

Charlie was now facing her and he smiled warmly, "What's that you're reading?"

Susan smiled nervously, "It's nothing."

"Wrong answer." Click.

Adam flinched again at the second explosion which echoed wildly in the hallway.  He tried to run for Susan but Charlie and his machine of death blocked his path. Adam was ready to cry, "Why don't you just kill me?"

Charlie appeared to think for a moment, "Because I don't want to?"

Suddenly a loud grizzly voice megaphone barked, "Drop your weapons kid.  We've got you surrounded."

Immediately five men in black flak suits appeared before them.  Adam sighed and thanked the lord that the Swat team had cloaking devices built into their suits. Each of them held assault rifles aimed at Charlie.  Charlie stared back nonchalantly.  His face had darkened and become appallingly gaunt.

The Swat leader spoke, "Are you going to cooperate?  Drop your weapon now!"

"Alright man, cool." The gun fell from his hand and landed with a metallic thud.  Members of the Swat team bound his arms in cuffs. They pushed him forward toward the door and Charlie turned his head to speak to Adam, "Sauron lives."

Adam's eyes widened.  There was no time to think about this.  He knelt by Susan whose pale skin had slightly bluish tinge.  She would be in shock soon.  Meanwhile, urgent footsteps fell louder and faster on deaf ears.  Adam wanted only to hear Susan speak.

"Alright move aside people," an arrogant EMT shouted and member of his team moved the crowd back. "We'll take care of her."

"No," A hand on his shoulder was both menacing and comforting. Adam resisted.

Susan shivered and croaked, "I heard what he said, Adam.  The book.  Read the book."

"What?"  Adam felt infinitely vulnerable and he did not want to understand anything anymore.  He watched the EMTs carry Susan and the blonde boy out on stretchers.  His world was twisting and warping beyond comprehension.  A cold breeze blew through his hair and pages fluttered at his feet.  He bent to pick up the book now spotted with Susan's blood.  _Lord of the Rings?_

Dead air buzzed through the intercom and the principal's voice was tired, "School is dismissed for today.  Report back tomorrow as usual."


	5. Into Flames

May 28, 2052

Cambridge High

9:15 am

Adam walked down the English hallways and his footsteps echoed dully.  The school seemed more silent, the people seemed fewer, and a pervasive air of strangeness lurked about the hallways.  The strangeness was not just that a school shooting had occurred yesterday; shootings happened all the time.

Adam's eyes wandered about the hall, and from a distance, he noticed a dark haired girl peering into her locker.  Katie Chen looked different today somehow.  She had her usual waist-length hair that was always tucked neatly behind her long ears.  Her alabaster skin seemed deathly pale against her dark hair, and her sharp chin curved smoothly to her large ears.  After having been classmates with her for years, he had never noticed her looks before.  Was there something different about her?   Her ears seemed slightly different.  But Adam noticed that a few others had ears similar to hers.  Maybe he wasn't thinking straight.  Maybe he was just overly worried about Susan.

Four underclassmen walked by him, chatting rambunctiously.  Their glossy, black trench coats were eye-catching.  Strangely, their coats seemed too long and looked awkward on their short bodies.  They each had a head full of curly locks, which seemed to clash with their gothic clothing.  Adam shrugged to himself.  He was not going to dispute any teenage fashion at this point.  He had seen them all.  

As Adam walked down the hallway to English class, he noticed that something was strange about the crowd of varsity basketball players.  Everyday they would loiter about, display their brawny muscles, and toy with the cheerleaders.  Adam stopped to stare at their antics.  Were they hairier, shorter, and stubbier than usual?

Adam turned away and his heart thumped wildly.  Ok, now I know I'm crazy.  Not only do I imagine seeing dwarves, but I also think they were once varsity basketball players.  I could have sworn I thought some of those dwarves were women too.  No, they can't have been the cheerleaders.  Please don't let me be going crazy.

Adam raised his nervous hands to check his ears.  Still human.  His hand moved down to his chin.  No abnormal hair growth.  Still normal.  There's still a chance that I'm not crazy.

As Adam entered English class and climbed to his seat, he hoped that class would calm his nerves.  Why am I so nervous?  What's wrong with me today?

Dr. Davis, the English teacher, entered the room in his usual polo shirt and khaki pants.  He shifted about a large stack of papers in one arm and a coffee mug tucked underneath.  His voiced boomed, "Good morning, class!  It is a great morning to learn about Shakespeare!"

Dr. Davis was on an eternal caffeine buzz.  Adam sighed and was bored already.  Today, Dr. Davis would introduce three themes in regards to Macbeth.

"Three themes are very important in Macbeth."  Dr. Davis began after he had set down all his papers.

Teachers were so predictable.  Adam turned to stare out the window.  He noticed that sun had dimmed and the blue sky had turned into a steely, grayish blue.  A low roar came from the heavens, warning of a spring rainstorm.  The wind could be heard as shrill whistles.

"Yes, Katie," Dr. Davis squinted at the girl sitting toward the back of the room.

"No," Katie answered.

"What?"  Davis raised his brows in confusion.  His wizened face looked haggard for an instant.

Katie brushed back a stray lock of black hair, "You were waiting for someone to give you three motifs: evil, reality vs. appearance, and ambition.  Then you would ask the class whether those were _themes.  So the answer is: no."_

"Well, yes, I was, I…" Dr. Davis was flustered, amused, and speechless.

Adam turned to stare at Katie along with most of his classmates.  How did she do that?  Only he could do something like that.  Adam frowned at the prospect that someone could out-predict him.  Suddenly, the electric light source above him flickered.  It flickered again and again and again.  Adam looked up, and grew irritated.  With every flicker of light, a pounding drummed harder inside his skull, and Adam wished he could tear out the blinking light.  

Suddenly, blasts of thunder rang forth like celestial cannons, the lights vanished with an electric crackle and hiss, and the windows rattled.  All was silent except for the howling of high pitched winds and the thrashing sound of tree leaves.  Adam stared at the violently shaking trees and suddenly noticed the shadows of craggy peaks in the background.  Where did those mountains come from?  The peak of the mountain twinkled like a ruby.

A flash of whiteness blinded him and then there was nothing but misty gray darkness.  Adam again saw those shadowy peaks, and he was transfixed.  The red sparkle had now grown into a fiery ball of flame.  Orange smoke billowed forth like wispy petals of a hell-flower.  It was beautiful.

A second flash of blinding whiteness accompanied the crack of thunder. 

Blinding whiteness became blinding darkness, but from that darkness there glowed a gargantuan flaming ball.  Shaped like an eye, it's gaze seared him, and grew and grew.  Adam could feel the very ends of his hair sizzle, he could taste the salt of his sweat, and his flesh seemed to melt.  The flaming eye grew and grew.  Adam tried to move back, but he could not stop staring into those soulless eyes, and the eye held him in a death grip.  The fiery pit advanced.  Adam struggled to flee but he couldn't move his limbs.  The eye had destroyed them.  The eye would swallow him whole.  The burning eye now moved to devour his chest.

A third whiteness blinded him but this whiteness did not end.  Was he dead?

"Adam! Adam! Adam, are you alright?"

Adam stared into soft brown eyes that glowed like dying embers, "Katie?"

Katie continued to stare at him with concern written on her brow, "You yelled something and then you went pale and sat like a zombie for five minutes."

Adam looked around the bright classroom and then back at Katie. "Katie, your ears, you ears are normal now.  And there's no thunder nor lightening."

Katie gave him a puzzled look, "I think you're babbling again."

"At least he's speaking in English," someone piped in.  The class laughed.

"What?" Adam asked grimly.

"You kept on shouting a bunch of gibberish."  Katie told him, "The only thing I remember was…"

"Sauron," Adam gasped and stared blankly back at Katie.

"Yes, that's it!  How did you know?"

"I wish I knew…"  But deep down inside, Adam had his suspicions.


End file.
